Life-saving and swimming clothing.



kJ. S. BARTHOLOMEW.

LIFE SVING AND SWIMMING CLOTHING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1907.

Patented May 4, 1909.

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UNiTnn sTf/ii'iis JAMES S. BARTIOLOMEW, CI" OCCIDENTAL, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE-SAVING AND SXVIMMNG CLOTHING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Application led August 20, 1907. Serial No. 389,394.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, JAMES S. BinrrnoLo- MEW, a citizen o'lI the United States, residing; at Occidental, in the county ol` Sonoma and State ol' California, have invented certain new and useiul improvements in Lite-Saving' and Swimming Clothing; and l do declare the following' to be a l'ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, sucli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same.

rThe invention relates to certain novel improvements in `flotation oll the human being'.

The object ol' the invention is to provide a simple and eiiective garment to iloat the human person in salt or lresh water.

To this, end, the invention consists in ccrtain features of construction and combination ol parts, which will be hereinafter l'ully described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front View ol' my improved 'limtine; corset as it appears when adjusted about the human body and in use. Fig'. 2 is a back view of my improved lloating corset as it appears when adjusted about the human body. Fig'. 3 is a similar 'lront view ol" the corset in its shortest and most abbreviated l'orm 'lor reducing' the specific gravity ol the wearer ior use in either salt or calm 'l'resh water. Fig. 4 is a transverse section ol a portion ol the said corset ol about the upper third. 5 is a View ol' two tule sections detached and -hei'metically inclosed in the two top tubes of Figs. 1, 2, and E encircling' the human 5 lng'. 6 is a person as nearly as possible. view,y showing' tapering' corks with interposed tule cushions or washers oi' sections ci diminishing, tapering corks 'ci' commerce, end to end in said corset, with short washers or cushions ol tule double knotted in place between said oorks, making; said corset highly'tlexible and easy to wear beneath the clothing or bathing suit, either close to the human skin orto be instantaneously snapped about the person outside ol all clothing in time of danger from drowning. Fig. 7 represents two fastening's to keep the corset from unbuttoning.

In the drawings, the same reference characters indicate the same parts ol' the invention,

In the drawings 7 and S are gas-tight india rubber' tubes of variable lengths and diame ter, hermetically inclosing the tule series ol' sections 9 and 10. The valves 11 and 12 are l the ordinary double check valves, with l screw covering' tops, and used 'lor pumpingl to tgreater or lesser inllation the rubber tubes 7 and S, with either gas or air, and thereby increasing' or decreasing their buoyancy, as Athe specific `gravity oll wearer ol' the corset demands, that is to say, as the dii'lerence between salt and l'resh water may require to comfortably 'lloat the human person, in either calm or stormy conditions ol' said waters by the use oll an intlating' air pump.

The hermetically sealed tule sections detached, shown in Fig'. 5 are to safeguard against dellation and loss of flotation by the tubes 7 and S getting punctured on rocks, or any hard substance, and maintaining an exact minimum of' the specific gravity ol: wearer olI the corset; by the disposition of the bunches of tule within the tubes, that is to say, the tubes 7 and 8 are inflated lor llotation and dcllated Afor packing' and i ransportation, at the will olE the wearer, and accidental, dangerous deflation with increasing; ol speeilic gravity guarded carefully against, by the inclosed tule safeguards. Tubes 7 and S are lully inflated in stormy waters, and entirely deflated in calm waters. The third i horizontal tier from the top 13, is composed oi the large, straight corks of commerce, tied stoutly in series, with the interposed tule washers or cushions between the corks, as shown in Fig'. 6. In case of the obesity of the wearer', l usc from 1 to 12, or more tiers ol these straight corks, in order to have the corset exactly lit the chest, waist, hip; and thighs, which cannot be done on large waists with the sections ol diminishing tapering corks. The tiers 14, 15, 16, 17, 1S, 19, 20 and 21 are the ordinary diminishing,A taperingl corks oilz commerce strung perpendicularly on stout, single, double, oi' triple cords with the tule washer stoutly tied between the corks tor flexibility. r1`he band 22 keeps the valve 11 and valve 12 pointing su'l'liciently inward toward the hollow ot the back so as to prevent catching' the outer clothing` when dressing' or undrcssing. The fastening' in front, 23, is the ordinary corset front, and the lacin' 24, is the usual criss-cross corset string' between the two middle tiers of corks running' up and down the center of the back for `tting' said diminishing', tapering' cork sections closely to the human body.

Fromthe foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings l the construction, operation and advantages of iny improved lite-s aying corset will readily be appreciated without requiring an extended explanation. lt 'will be seen that device is simple of construction, that said construction permits oi its manufacture at sinall costs, and that it is exceedingly well adapted for the purpose or life saying, and for swimming in water of greater or loss spccilic gravity, f

at the will and pleasure or" the wearer.

Various changes in the forni, proportion and ininor details oiconstruetion, in order to fit large and small hunian beings, may be resorted to without departing from the principles or sacrilicing any of the advantages of this invention.

l claini as my invention.

l. A life-saying garinent, comprising a plurality of rubber tubes with bunches or tule grass disposed therein, said tubes provided with inilating means having controlling Valves whereby the biro; i oi the tubes inay be increased or decreased at will,

2. ln a lite-sayin'r O'arinent coinzrieino a 1 O 1 1 C' i plurality of rubber tuoes located norizontally about the top oi said garment, a plurality of series ci tapering corlis disposed perpendicnlarly below said rubber tubes in series, the corlis of each series diminishing in size to the lnunan waist line, thence increasg j ing in size downward over the hips.

3. ln a life-saving garinent comprising a plurality of rubber tubes and a plurality oi' series of tapering corks, controlling lacing strings between the ends oi said rubber tubes in front and controlling lacing strings extending from the top oi the two middle cork series on the back to bottoni of garment, whereby the size of the garment rnay be increased or decreased at will.

4. ln a life-saying garment comprising a .lurality of horizontal rubber tubes and a )luraiity of series of tapering corls, a pluality oi tnle grass washers or cushions, one o' each between every two of said tapering corlis.

ln a lite-saying garment, a plurality 'oi horizontal rubber tubes, bunches of tule inciosed therein, `means for iniiating and deilating said tubes with air or gas, coin- Ygrirising controlling Valves whereby the buoyancy can be increased and the gagnent susceptible of a ininininin, a niean or an extreme condition oi" buoyancy at the will of the swinuner.

witness whereof, l have hereunto set iny hand and seal at the eity ol" Los Angeles, inthe county of Los Angeles, in the State or" California, in the presence two subscribing 1witnesses .mais s, smrimtoiniw. It. 

